Beginners and Beyond

Dumbfounded after comment from co-worker about running (Read 506 times)

Maybe she thought that you run so much that 13.1 miles would be a cakewalk. Then her "Are you sick?" could be interpreted as "I would expect you to do the full marathon, but you are dropping down to the half....are you ill??"

Or maybe not.

Jen

lilac_jive

Jess runs for bacon

posted: 1/3/2013 at 1:42 PM

I read that as "sick in the head," and since I hear that a lot, it wouldn't bug me. I hate the "What charity is it for?" question since lots of races aren't charity runs.

The only time I had an awkward cancer/running moment was in the portolet line at my first half. It was chilly but we were lightly dressed since it was going to warm up. I was complaining that my nerps felt like they were going to fall off and a woman, sort of jokingly, said she was a survivor and I should be glad to have them. I agreed, but that didn't stop them from still hurting.

Maybe she thought that you run so much that 13.1 miles would be a cakewalk. Then her "Are you sick?" could be interpreted as "I would expect you to do the full marathon, but you are dropping down to the half....are you ill??"

Or maybe not.

This is definitely how I read the comment, but I guess I am a little touchy about the non-runners around me not understanding wny I have no interest in running a full marathon...

Jen

xor

posted: 1/3/2013 at 1:48 PM

I ran for many years in pink because of family connections to breast cancer. At the Park City Marathon in 2011, a random dude came up to me and... in total seriousness and exasperation... asked me, "Don't you ever run for MENS health issues??" He seemed genuinely miffed/curious. My answer was "Yes. Every single day."

Anyway. There's always someone ready to zing you about your hobby or the length of your hair or some damn thing.

I ran for many years in pink because of family connections to breast cancer. At the Park City Marathon in 2011, a random dude came up to me and... in total seriousness and exasperation... asked me, "Don't you ever run for MENS health issues??" He seemed genuinely miffed/curious. My answer was "Yes. Every single day."

Anyway. There's always someone ready to zing you about your hobby or the length of your hair or some damn thing.

When someone hints that I'm abnormal (as in sick in the head) for wanting to do races such as HMs or marathons, I always smile and reply that they are not as difficult as they appear. And I'm being honest about it. I explain that all it requires is that you build up the mileage to the point of being able to train for an event, then complete a full training cycle for said event. It takes patience and consistency. If you have that, then a half or a full isn't crazy at all. Anyone can do it if they are willing to invest the time necessary for it.

I think that this woman was only expressing her admiration for what you are doing. Many people do it this way, with what they see as humor. It is not meant to be a rude comment, nor are they expressing concern about your mental health. :-) You could have said: "As soon as you are feeling better, you should start running too! I can totally see you tackling this type of challenge!"

I like this a lot. Turn it into a teaching moment/point of encouragement.

Maybe she thought that you run so much that 13.1 miles would be a cakewalk. Then her "Are you sick?" could be interpreted as "I would expect you to do the full marathon, but you are dropping down to the half....are you ill??"

Or maybe not.

^^^ this was my thought as well...

Okay, I lied. My initial thought was that the OP is a bit overly sensitive...the aforementioned was my second thought.

I run for several reasons; I feel better for it, probably being the best. As for running to raise funds to battle cancer or help Veterans I do that also. As for the response to 'Are you sick?' Nope, I'm probably healthier than you are and I also enjoy the activity. Also being that active allows me to drink the beers I like without going to the Lardo Section for clothes.